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Cat Tale
From word to word they find their way, Lillian, Tilly, and William J. Like They spot some ewes. They use a box. They box some fleas. And flee a steer . . . First they see, then they do. The only thing missing? You! Come join the fun. Meow! Michael Hall's inquisitive cats set out to spend the afternoon snacking and reading, but wind up chasing words, including homophones and homonyms, on a silly tongue twister of an adventure!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2012
3 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Michael Hall
17 books107 followersMichael Hall is the author/illustrator of The New York Times bestseller, My Heart Is Like a Zoo, as well as the critically acclaimed Perfect Square, It’s an Orange Aardvark, Red: A Crayon’s Story, and Frankencrayon.
Before becoming a children’s author, Michael was an award-winning graphic designer whose work — including graphic identities for the City of Saint Paul, Macalester College, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Hennepin County Medical Center — has been widely recognized for its simple and engaging approach.
Michael lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Before becoming a children’s author, Michael was an award-winning graphic designer whose work — including graphic identities for the City of Saint Paul, Macalester College, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Hennepin County Medical Center — has been widely recognized for its simple and engaging approach.
Michael lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
August 25, 2012
When we are old and gray and the stars gleam a little less brightly in the wide firmament above our heads, I have no doubt that there will STILL be children’s librarians out there debating the merits (or lack thereof) of picture books designed with older child readers in mind. To bring this subject up is akin to throwing a lit match on diesel soaked tinder, but what the heck. You see, walk into any decent library and you’ll find a picture book section teaming with fantastic 32-48 page titles that simply do not circulate. And why? Because of the standard belief, sometimes by children, sometimes by adults, that when you reach a certain age you “outgrow” picture books. As if they were a pair of shoes liable to give you blisters if you kept them around too long. This is, naturally, bupkis. Picture books are appropriate for all ages, really (and if you don’t believe me why don’t I just introduce you to a little number I know called The Woolvs in the Sitee). So the fact that a book like Michael Hall’s Cat Tale exists pleases on both the 6-year-old level as well as the 10-year-old level should surprise few. Wielding homophones like weapons, Hall brings his artistic sensibilities (to say nothing of his love of controlled chaos) to the wordplay realm and the end result is that everyone's a winner for it.
Meet Lillian, Tilly and William J. Three little cats that are out for a day. In rhyming verse we watch as at first their adventures are small. “They pack some books and kitty chews. They chose a spot. They spot some ewes.” As the book continues they cats become more adventuresome. “They train a duck to duck a shoe. They shoo a truly naughty gnu.” Yet the words begin to get tangled and the cats are in a state. Should they use a rock to squash a berry or use a squash to bury a rock or (after a pause) use their paws to rock a squashberry? Finally everything gets too crazy and the cats find their way out thanks to their tails/tales.
Like many people, when I think of homonyms in works of children’s literature my mind instantly leaps to good old Amelia Bedelia. She continues to reign as the homonym queen to this day. After all, without them she wouldn’t get confused in the slightest. Hall could have done a storyline very much like Amelia’s. The cats could have just wandered about and gotten confused about the difference between boarding a plane and getting to plane a board. Ho and also hum. Instead, Hall takes a risk. He actually connects the sentences and uses his illustrations to make seemingly disparate phrases relate to one another. Now the text reads, “They flee a steer. They steer a plane. They plane a board. They board a train.” All this makes sense in the book since we see the progression from place to place. Note too that just to ratchet up the challenge a little, Hall is making this book rhyme on top of everything else. That’s sort of explained on the title page (Hall wastes no time) where it reads, “From word to word they find their way, Lillian, Tilly, and William J.” Interesting that Hall went with “Lillian” rather than “Lily” since “Lily and Tilly and William J.” has its own nice rhythm. There’s no denying how satisfying it is to begin with a Lillian and end with a William, though. Even if they don’t rhyme precisely.
When Hall wrote his previous book The Perfect Square there was wit on display but it seemed to be mostly of the visual variety. Cat Tale doles out the wit a little more on the verbal end of the spectrum, but there’s no denying that the art is also just great. As with the aforementioned Perfect Square Hall’s art consists of acrylic painted textures and paper cutouts that were combined digitally. Not that you can tell where the computer came in or how it was used. The colors in this book don’t have that faux clip-art coloring so often found in slapdash computer art. Instead it looks like Hall took out his sponge and his brightest hues and created something truly lovely. From the vibrant orange of the train to the deep and satisfying blue of the steer, there’s a method to Hall’s madness. A beautiful sumptuous method.
There is admittedly one moment in the book where I got seriously confused, so I wonder how it’ll fly with the pre-adolescent set. To be fair, that’s sort of the whole point of the spread. As the cats go along the homonyms gets crazier and crazier until there’s a virtual explosion of cats, steer, gnus, ducks, cars, shoes, ewes, you name it. The trouble is that I couldn’t make the mental leap from that image to the next one involving the cats’ tails. I know it makes sense on a practical level, but I felt like the transition was a bit too rough. Something a bit slower, a bit more staid, could have suited the storyline a little better.
I know a librarian who uses older picture books for her 2-3rd grade parent/child bookclub. It’s as good a solution as any I know to get those book circulating, that’s for sure. Of course, my dearest hope is that teachers discover this book as well. With the rise of interest in the Core Curriculum, folks need to remember that teaching homonyms doesn’t have to be rote and dull as dishwater. It can involve naughty gnus and rocked squashberries! A visual feast and too clever by half, Hall’s latest begs to be read aloud and pored over. A little book that deserves all the attention it can receive. Teachers, parents, librarians, and booksellers, take note.
Ages 6-10
Meet Lillian, Tilly and William J. Three little cats that are out for a day. In rhyming verse we watch as at first their adventures are small. “They pack some books and kitty chews. They chose a spot. They spot some ewes.” As the book continues they cats become more adventuresome. “They train a duck to duck a shoe. They shoo a truly naughty gnu.” Yet the words begin to get tangled and the cats are in a state. Should they use a rock to squash a berry or use a squash to bury a rock or (after a pause) use their paws to rock a squashberry? Finally everything gets too crazy and the cats find their way out thanks to their tails/tales.
Like many people, when I think of homonyms in works of children’s literature my mind instantly leaps to good old Amelia Bedelia. She continues to reign as the homonym queen to this day. After all, without them she wouldn’t get confused in the slightest. Hall could have done a storyline very much like Amelia’s. The cats could have just wandered about and gotten confused about the difference between boarding a plane and getting to plane a board. Ho and also hum. Instead, Hall takes a risk. He actually connects the sentences and uses his illustrations to make seemingly disparate phrases relate to one another. Now the text reads, “They flee a steer. They steer a plane. They plane a board. They board a train.” All this makes sense in the book since we see the progression from place to place. Note too that just to ratchet up the challenge a little, Hall is making this book rhyme on top of everything else. That’s sort of explained on the title page (Hall wastes no time) where it reads, “From word to word they find their way, Lillian, Tilly, and William J.” Interesting that Hall went with “Lillian” rather than “Lily” since “Lily and Tilly and William J.” has its own nice rhythm. There’s no denying how satisfying it is to begin with a Lillian and end with a William, though. Even if they don’t rhyme precisely.
When Hall wrote his previous book The Perfect Square there was wit on display but it seemed to be mostly of the visual variety. Cat Tale doles out the wit a little more on the verbal end of the spectrum, but there’s no denying that the art is also just great. As with the aforementioned Perfect Square Hall’s art consists of acrylic painted textures and paper cutouts that were combined digitally. Not that you can tell where the computer came in or how it was used. The colors in this book don’t have that faux clip-art coloring so often found in slapdash computer art. Instead it looks like Hall took out his sponge and his brightest hues and created something truly lovely. From the vibrant orange of the train to the deep and satisfying blue of the steer, there’s a method to Hall’s madness. A beautiful sumptuous method.
There is admittedly one moment in the book where I got seriously confused, so I wonder how it’ll fly with the pre-adolescent set. To be fair, that’s sort of the whole point of the spread. As the cats go along the homonyms gets crazier and crazier until there’s a virtual explosion of cats, steer, gnus, ducks, cars, shoes, ewes, you name it. The trouble is that I couldn’t make the mental leap from that image to the next one involving the cats’ tails. I know it makes sense on a practical level, but I felt like the transition was a bit too rough. Something a bit slower, a bit more staid, could have suited the storyline a little better.
I know a librarian who uses older picture books for her 2-3rd grade parent/child bookclub. It’s as good a solution as any I know to get those book circulating, that’s for sure. Of course, my dearest hope is that teachers discover this book as well. With the rise of interest in the Core Curriculum, folks need to remember that teaching homonyms doesn’t have to be rote and dull as dishwater. It can involve naughty gnus and rocked squashberries! A visual feast and too clever by half, Hall’s latest begs to be read aloud and pored over. A little book that deserves all the attention it can receive. Teachers, parents, librarians, and booksellers, take note.
Ages 6-10
October 31, 2012
Richie’s Picks: CAT TALE by Michael Hall, Greenwillow, August 2012, 40p., ISBN: 978-0-06-191516-1
Herman Munster: “That lady welder and I are just friends. Just because I’m a welder, you know, doesn’t mean I’m carrying a torch for her.”
--The Munsters (1965)
“They pack some books and kitty chews.
They choose a spot.
They spot some ewes.
They use a box to hide from bees.
They do their best to box some fleas…”
CAT TALE is the best looking, best reading children’s book employing (and thereby teaching) homophones that I have ever seen. I loved Michael Hall’s 2011 picture book THE PERFECT SQUARE, and this one is every bit as great with its trio of geometrically shaped cats and its vivid digital colors that stand out boldly against the white background.
“They flee a steer.
They steer a plane.
They plane a board.
They board a train.”
In recalling past books that have utilized homophones, I think back to the series that the late Fred Gwynn wrote and illustrated in the eighties – A CHOCOLATE MOOSE FOR DINNER; THE KING WHO RAINED; and A LITTLE PIGEON TOAD – and, being Halloween, I thought it would be a perfect day to pay a moment or two’s homage to the guy who was Herman Munster, Officer Francis Muldoon, and Judge Chamberlain Haller (“Uh, did you say ‘yutes’?”)
Lily Munster: “If you go with bad companions, some of it is bound to rub off on you.”
Herman Munster: “Exactly. Which brings to mind a famous old quotation: he who lies down with dog gets up with fleas.”
Eddie Wolfgang Munster: “Who said that, daddy?”
Herman Munster: “I’m not sure. I think it was the man who trained Lassie.”
But, really, neither Gwynn’s works, nor several other topically-related picture books I’ve seen over the years, offer anywhere near as fun verbal and visual lessons in words that sound the same but have different meanings than does CAT TALE. This has such a breezy, infectiously lyrical, and rib-tickling tasty text that I am quite tempted to commit it to memory.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
Herman Munster: “That lady welder and I are just friends. Just because I’m a welder, you know, doesn’t mean I’m carrying a torch for her.”
--The Munsters (1965)
“They pack some books and kitty chews.
They choose a spot.
They spot some ewes.
They use a box to hide from bees.
They do their best to box some fleas…”
CAT TALE is the best looking, best reading children’s book employing (and thereby teaching) homophones that I have ever seen. I loved Michael Hall’s 2011 picture book THE PERFECT SQUARE, and this one is every bit as great with its trio of geometrically shaped cats and its vivid digital colors that stand out boldly against the white background.
“They flee a steer.
They steer a plane.
They plane a board.
They board a train.”
In recalling past books that have utilized homophones, I think back to the series that the late Fred Gwynn wrote and illustrated in the eighties – A CHOCOLATE MOOSE FOR DINNER; THE KING WHO RAINED; and A LITTLE PIGEON TOAD – and, being Halloween, I thought it would be a perfect day to pay a moment or two’s homage to the guy who was Herman Munster, Officer Francis Muldoon, and Judge Chamberlain Haller (“Uh, did you say ‘yutes’?”)
Lily Munster: “If you go with bad companions, some of it is bound to rub off on you.”
Herman Munster: “Exactly. Which brings to mind a famous old quotation: he who lies down with dog gets up with fleas.”
Eddie Wolfgang Munster: “Who said that, daddy?”
Herman Munster: “I’m not sure. I think it was the man who trained Lassie.”
But, really, neither Gwynn’s works, nor several other topically-related picture books I’ve seen over the years, offer anywhere near as fun verbal and visual lessons in words that sound the same but have different meanings than does CAT TALE. This has such a breezy, infectiously lyrical, and rib-tickling tasty text that I am quite tempted to commit it to memory.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
October 24, 2012
(Props to Rae H. for sharing this book in a Project Smyles meeting!)
Sometimes a book's pictures are really great. Sometimes a book's words are clever, interesting, and fun with great rhythm and rhyme. Every now and then, a book comes along that combines all of these elements to work well on so many levels that it truly stands out, and this is one of them.
Three cats go through their day, meeting a variety of animals and doing a variety of actions. The illustrations from paper cutouts are boldly geometric, begging readers to find colors and shapes on every page.
Along with all of this, the narrative consists of an extended wordplay highlighting homonyms, as in "They spot some ewes. They use a box to hide from bees.They do their best to box some fleas. They flee a steer." The hilarity that ensues will keep readers entranced from beginning to end.
Recommended for young picture book readers who will love the humorous illustrations and rhythm of the text, and school-aged readers who will be able to appreciate the puns (as well as teachers who are introducing homonyms).
Sometimes a book's pictures are really great. Sometimes a book's words are clever, interesting, and fun with great rhythm and rhyme. Every now and then, a book comes along that combines all of these elements to work well on so many levels that it truly stands out, and this is one of them.
Three cats go through their day, meeting a variety of animals and doing a variety of actions. The illustrations from paper cutouts are boldly geometric, begging readers to find colors and shapes on every page.
Along with all of this, the narrative consists of an extended wordplay highlighting homonyms, as in "They spot some ewes. They use a box to hide from bees.They do their best to box some fleas. They flee a steer." The hilarity that ensues will keep readers entranced from beginning to end.
Recommended for young picture book readers who will love the humorous illustrations and rhythm of the text, and school-aged readers who will be able to appreciate the puns (as well as teachers who are introducing homonyms).
February 4, 2016
This book is fabulous! It is school shelf worthy. :) With illustrations that are similar in method to Eric Carle this book is vibrant and full of color and while it is attractive, the absolute best part is the text. The story is fun, but it is the word play. The jump between appearance, sound and meaning keeps you guessing and brings on the intriguing. I love it an I will have to get a real copy, this is one I know I plan to use again and again for our grammar/language arts type lessons. I'm completely exci
scheduled: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...
scheduled: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...
March 5, 2022
Lillian, Tilly, and William J! This was a HUGE HIT. Two weeks of bedtime reading. I think Baby enjoyed saying "Naughty Gnu" the most. Well, "No. No. No." was also up there for her. She is still in a huge CAT mood, which fits since she has 3 cat stuffed animals that she takes to bed. So this book was really right up her alley.
The artwork is adorable and fun. The writing is well-paced and never felt droll or repetitive. Thank goodness it didn't drive me nuts and I really enjoyed this even on repeat.
I would actually consider buying this book to add it permanently to our collection it's that cute.
The artwork is adorable and fun. The writing is well-paced and never felt droll or repetitive. Thank goodness it didn't drive me nuts and I really enjoyed this even on repeat.
I would actually consider buying this book to add it permanently to our collection it's that cute.
March 6, 2017
Text: 4 stars
Illustrations: 5 stars
An exploration of homophones by three adorable cats on a quest, armed with books and kitty snacks (shaped like mice of course). As always, Michael Hall's illustrations are a visual treat. But the text gets too derailed on the middle page spread (following the introduction of the gnu). It does get back on track (love the cat tails) and ends with a satisfying conclusion. The word play has a nice rhythm to it, proving Hall's word manipulation skills rival his remarkable artistic sense.
Illustrations: 5 stars
An exploration of homophones by three adorable cats on a quest, armed with books and kitty snacks (shaped like mice of course). As always, Michael Hall's illustrations are a visual treat. But the text gets too derailed on the middle page spread (following the introduction of the gnu). It does get back on track (love the cat tails) and ends with a satisfying conclusion. The word play has a nice rhythm to it, proving Hall's word manipulation skills rival his remarkable artistic sense.
September 27, 2012
I really like this book. It's cute and clever. But I cannot put my finger on just what age group would benefit most from reading it. It has the look of a PreK-1st grade book, but most of it would fly right over those kids' head so fast it would leave their hair all pointing one direction. I'm thinking it needs to land in the upper elementary Language Arts classroom square in the middle of discussions on homophones.
Some of the homophones that appear here (which are presented in a straightforward but fun manner) will probably leave even those kids befuddled, but all in all it's full of great examples of homophones. Occasionally the illustrations, which are extremely simple, don't quite convey the information needed to process the statements. The specific example to which I'm referring is escaping me right now, but I remember reading that page and thinking, "I don't think kids will be able to tell what those cats are doing on this page." But I could be wrong. I am all the time.
Hand kids this book (again--upper elementary could handle it best, I think), have them first identify all the pairs of homophones, then guess what they mean, then use a dictionary to define any of which they're unsure.
Some of the homophones that appear here (which are presented in a straightforward but fun manner) will probably leave even those kids befuddled, but all in all it's full of great examples of homophones. Occasionally the illustrations, which are extremely simple, don't quite convey the information needed to process the statements. The specific example to which I'm referring is escaping me right now, but I remember reading that page and thinking, "I don't think kids will be able to tell what those cats are doing on this page." But I could be wrong. I am all the time.
Hand kids this book (again--upper elementary could handle it best, I think), have them first identify all the pairs of homophones, then guess what they mean, then use a dictionary to define any of which they're unsure.
January 11, 2013
Cat Tale by Michael Hall is about three cats who go on an adventure, have a run in with homophones and find themselves scrambled and confused. Lillian, Tilly and William J begin their day with a picnic but along the way:
They use a box.
They box some fleas.
And flee a steer.
You can see where this is going. The further they go, the more and whackier the homophones they encounter become. Hall's brightly colored pictures illustrate the homophones, helping early readers master some of the oddities of the English language.
Cat Tale has a good balance of easy to read and challenging words for children who are making the transition from learning to read to more difficult books. My daughter, struggled with understanding the plot the first time, being caught off guard by the homophones. The second time she read the book aloud and that helped to her to hear what Hall was doing.
For the younger set, I think the homophones combined with the silly illustrations will make for a fun storytime or bedtime story.
They use a box.
They box some fleas.
And flee a steer.
You can see where this is going. The further they go, the more and whackier the homophones they encounter become. Hall's brightly colored pictures illustrate the homophones, helping early readers master some of the oddities of the English language.
Cat Tale has a good balance of easy to read and challenging words for children who are making the transition from learning to read to more difficult books. My daughter, struggled with understanding the plot the first time, being caught off guard by the homophones. The second time she read the book aloud and that helped to her to hear what Hall was doing.
For the younger set, I think the homophones combined with the silly illustrations will make for a fun storytime or bedtime story.
October 15, 2012
I liked this clever picture book! A humorous, energetic read-aloud (warning: practice first!) with bold, acrylic-painted illustrations combined digitally with geometrically-shaped animals somewhat reminiscent of Eric Carle’s artwork, cats Lillian, Tilly, and William J. quickly draw readers into their linguistic romp. Their trail follows a rhyming, twisty, imaginative trail of homophones and homonyms which includes such catchy word-plays as “… pack some books and kitty chews … choose a spot” to “… use their paws to shoo a train. A shoo-shoo train? … use a shoe to steer a box? ... use a box to steer a steer?”) [unpaged]. The reader might be exhausted by last page, but the cats find their way to the couch where they are last seen serenely reading their favorite books, of course! My grand-daughters (ages 3 & 4) enjoyed it although they were too young to understand some of the language and appreciate the word plays ...
July 1, 2013
This is a very, very, very clever book, quite on par with I Scream! Ice Cream!: A Book of Wordles, at least! So inspiring! A wonderful play on homonyms and homophones which probably won't be appreciated by a child much younger than five, but we thought it was a blast. My son read it to me, and he may have been a little too focused on the reading to realize at first what the author was doing with the words, so he was almost halfway into the book once a wide grin spread over his face, priceless! The cut-out (computer generated?) illustrations are esthetically pleasing, if not quite as beautiful as the ones in Perfect Square.
September 20, 2012
Age: K - 2nd grade
Very fun, once you get it. I had to read it a few times which is detrimental for parents that don't read through every children's book before reading it with their kids. (Do those parents exist?) Even the jacket sleeve is hard to decipher: "First they see, then they do. The only thing missing? You!"
My stumbling block was figuring out that each page highlighted a word from the last page. Some words are spelled differently so it might be more evident read aloud. The power of this book lies in strongly stressing each of these words.
Very fun, once you get it. I had to read it a few times which is detrimental for parents that don't read through every children's book before reading it with their kids. (Do those parents exist?) Even the jacket sleeve is hard to decipher: "First they see, then they do. The only thing missing? You!"
My stumbling block was figuring out that each page highlighted a word from the last page. Some words are spelled differently so it might be more evident read aloud. The power of this book lies in strongly stressing each of these words.
September 23, 2012
This book would be a perfect story-time pick for older children for its entertainment factor - bright colors, adventures, and fun words. The rolling text carries you through the exciting and confusing lyrical adventures of three cats. Even better, this tale could be used for language classes - teaching synonyms, antonyms, homophones, etc. The richness of this story makes it a fun read for adults, too! It's an all-around stellar book!
November 15, 2012
Because book uses words that are "homophones", I wanted to read this to an older audience. At PJ storytime I had 2nd & 3rd graders and only one of the older kids seem to understand it. So I am not quite sure who the audience might be for this book. While the illustrations are cute, they are more for the younger crowd - so I guess I am saying the content level of the text doesn't match the level of the illustrations.
November 15, 2012
This is a humorous tale that uses a string of homophones to weave a silly story. The narrative is short and fun to read aloud and the illustrations are colorful and very angular.
Overall, I was worried that our girls would consider this book too 'babyish', but they really liked it and we actually read it twice in row, to more fully appreciate the word play.
Overall, I was worried that our girls would consider this book too 'babyish', but they really liked it and we actually read it twice in row, to more fully appreciate the word play.
September 22, 2012
Bright and colorful, but this book is built on subtle wordplay that will be totally lost on any reader under the age of 6. There is no real story to go with the "jokes" which is unfortunate, because the illustrations are so appealing.
September 22, 2012
Michael Hall has done it again. His illustrations are engaging and colorful. This rhyming story has readers thinking about the text, which include homophones and homonyms. This would be a wonderful addition to a word study unit.
January 24, 2013
If you like playing with words, silliness, and graphic design in your illustrations along with cats, then this is the book for you! Madam didn't get all of the word interplays, but it led to good discussions and some giggles.
September 14, 2012
Love the word play and the illustrations are bold and fun.
September 17, 2012
Fabulous illustrations and delightful wordplay. Great read aloud for preschoolers and older kids, too.
September 18, 2012
The wordplay might get a bit confusing (for both tots and tongue-tied adults who are reading it aloud!) midway through the book.
September 25, 2012
This is a great book to help children find words. This introduces words in small chunks and makes a hilarious story out of it. This book can be used as a good word recognition lesson.
December 11, 2012
Fun book that looks at homophones. May be a better choice for older children. The illustrations are entertaining and engaging.
August 20, 2015
Word play and cats - what could be a better combination? Michael Hall produces yet another fantastic book for children!
February 5, 2013
I love the play on words, especially the mix up :-). The simple colors and paint stroke illustrations are playful too.
February 21, 2015
Cats playing with words, (8) These are a few of my favorite things. (8)
February 21, 2015
What's not to love? Cats, check. Homonyms, check. Word play, check. Vibrant illustrations, check. Big smile on my face, check!
November 14, 2018
Cat Tale, by Michael Hall, is great and definitely earned a spot in my favorites for it's fun artwork and tongue twisting word plays. In this book 3 cats do and see things that are homonyms and homographs (Flee/flea, steer/steer, etc.) in a crazy silly bright and colorful adventure. Students will laugh at the cats and the crazy things they do/see and love looking at the visual explosions on every page of this fiction book. I think it is geared toward any age from Pre-K all the way to intermediate grades studying homographs, depending on how complex you want to want to analyze the text.
I loved this book so much I carved a lesson from it. My 3rd grade students needed a refresher on vowel digraphs and would you know it, but 7 vowel teams were in every page of this book! My students split into 3 teams (named for the 3 cats) and had fun competing against each other to "find" the long vowel sound digraphs as we read aloud the book. To make sure all students had an equal chance to have a turn to earn a point for the team we passed a stuffed cat mascot around for each team. Although students have not studied homographs very much yet, I pointed them out as we went along so students could see that words can sound the same and have different meanings. It would be fun to revisit this book with a homograph objective later in the year.
I loved this book so much I carved a lesson from it. My 3rd grade students needed a refresher on vowel digraphs and would you know it, but 7 vowel teams were in every page of this book! My students split into 3 teams (named for the 3 cats) and had fun competing against each other to "find" the long vowel sound digraphs as we read aloud the book. To make sure all students had an equal chance to have a turn to earn a point for the team we passed a stuffed cat mascot around for each team. Although students have not studied homographs very much yet, I pointed them out as we went along so students could see that words can sound the same and have different meanings. It would be fun to revisit this book with a homograph objective later in the year.
September 29, 2023
Right from the cover, you fellow Goodreaders can likely tell that this is going to to be a very visual book. Since the title is simple, and simply presented... while those three cats on the cover (and their tails) are drawn so stylishly.
Yes, it's a picture book with PICTURE front and center. Only the story turns out to be strong on wordplay as well: homophones and homonyms. For instance, regarding the three cats in this story. They:
Use their paws
to shoo a train.
A shoo-shoo train?
No!
What a pleasure to meet Lillian, Tilly, and William J.!
FIVE STARS to irrepressibly creative artist and author, Michael Hall.
April 8, 2018
This very creative book is a treasury of magnificent cut paper art as well as a great source of the humorous use of homophones and homographs. It is probably too sophisticated for most primary students, but those in the intermediate grades could use this as inspiration for their writing. Everyone will love the art. So creative!
April 24, 2024
I just want to remember the fit of giggles my kids had over this book. Each primary noun is turned into a verb and the story escalates with these three cats going on an ever increasing chaotic adventure.
Very clever and a way to celebrate the quirkiness of the English language! A really fun one for informal grammar. My kids ages 3, 5, and 8 loved it!
Very clever and a way to celebrate the quirkiness of the English language! A really fun one for informal grammar. My kids ages 3, 5, and 8 loved it!
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